Printing and dyeing of pile carpeting



Dec. 17, 1957 G. TILLETT ETAL 2,816,811

` PRINTING AND DYEING 0F PILE CARPETING w Filed may 12, 1955 Y l2INVENTORS George Ti Het? Mary THIQH United States Patent O PRINTING ANDDYEING -OF PILE CARPETING George Tillett and Mary Tillett, Oscawana, N.Y., as-

signors to Deep Dye Industries, Inc., :Croton on Hudson, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application May 12, 1955, Serial No. 507,7.88

9 Claims. .(Cl. 8er-148) The present invention relates to theapplication of colored designs te pile carpeting. and mere Specificallyt such design application in which the pile may be colored as deeply asdesired, even to the carpet backing, while boundaries between colors ina multi-colored design may be strictly preserved.

While color designs may be 4applied to pile carpeting by existingtechniques, such application is unsatisfactory. Primarily this isbecause as a practical matter it has only been possible superlicially toapply such patterns. Where deep dyeing is to be achieved it is necessaryto resort to methods which are prohibitive in their complexity. Yet fora truly satisfactory application of color designs to carpets they shouldbe applied by deep dyeing in some manner. Previous efforts along theselines have been many and have taken the form of use of stencils,screens, air sprays and the like. It has been possible to induce deeppenetration of coloring agents into the pile but generally there havebeen disastrous effects accompanying these attempts. The problem arisesprimarily in connection with designs in which various colors are to beapplied in contiguous areas of the pile. The disastrous effects havebeen of the nature of the dye spreading sideways, with the adjacentcolors interpenetrating. Thus boundaries have been rendered indistinct,destroying the crisp appearance which is of the essence for a qualityproduct. Such have been the results where all the colors in a givendesign have been simultaneously applied. To overcome this difliculty,others have tried application of colors successively. Aside from theobvious increase in time for the color process, there has also been adistortion of line as each color is introduced to and successivelypenetrates into thc pile.

Accordingly it is the primary object of this invention to make possiblethe deep dyeing of pile carpeting, in which a plurality of colors may besimultaneously applied without distortion of boundary lines, and inwhich the coloring agent will penetrate into the pile as deeply as maybe desired. To achieve this object apparatus is provided in which thevarious areas of the pile to be colored are isolated one from the other.In the apparatus the isolated areas are then simultaneously treated withthe desired color of dye. Isolation of the respective areas of the pileassures well dened boundaries between colors.

It is a further object herein to provide for the coloring of carpetpiling, not by forcing coloring agent into the pile, but by permittingthe pile to soak up the coloring agent upon immersion therein. To carryout this object provision is made for a continual replenishement of thecoloring agent as may be necessary in order to achieve the requireddepth of penetration.

It is a final object herein to carry out the foregoing by a simpleapparatus, simple in construction and simple to use, whereby the processof applying color design to pile carpeting may be inexpensively andeffectively carried out.

How these and many other objects are to be implemented will becomeapparent through a consideration of the accompanying drawing, wherein:

ICC

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the dye carrying portion of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a section at 2.2 `of Fig. l, showing carpeting in position forimmersion, and

Fig. 3 shows carpeting in place in the apparatus during immersion.

An infinite variety of varying color designs might be dyed intocarpeting by the present invention but the drawings are confined to asingle design adaptation. Receptacles 10, 11, and 1 2 are defined uponbase member 13 by free standing thin walls 14. Each receptacle isleakproof, so that different colors may be carried in the receptacleswithout intermingling. Provision is made for supplying coloring agentfrom reservoirs, not shown, to each receptacle through channels 15 whichpass through the-base member 13,. The channels extend from thereservoirs outside the base member, and open into the bottom of eachreceptacle.

In order to dye a design into the pile 16 of a carpet 17, the carpet isplaced over the receptacles, pile side downward. Obviously, thecarpeting should be held level or taut. A flat rigid sheet 20 may thenbe placed over the back of the carpeting in order that the pile beuniformly introduced into the various receptacles. During a period ofimmersion, additional coloring agent may be fed as may be necessary,into the receptacles through channels l5.

By making the walls 14 of thin material, it is possible, when pressureis exerted against the back of a carpet, to cause the walls 14 to extendinto the pile. When the walls do so extend into the pile, an area of thepile is confined within each receptacle, and each area so confined isisolated from other areas. By this provision, it is apparent thatcoloring of the pile to any desired depth, right down to the backing ofthe carpet is possible, as shown in Fig. 3. All that is necessary isthat suflicient coloring agent be introduced into the receptacles duringimmersion, and channels 15 provide means for satisfying this need.

While we have described a specific embodiment of our invention, it isapparent that changes and modifications may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of our invention. For example, the peripheralconfiguration of the receptacles may be varied, as well as the size andnumber of the various receptacles and number of feed channels.

We claim:

l. A process for the application of colored designs to pile fabrics,comprising the spreading of said carpeting above a plurality ofreceptacles having perpendicular walls, causing an area of said pile toenter each receptacle by applying pressure to the carpeting by means ofa flat rigid plate, the walls of each receptacle extending into thepile, whereby the area of pile within a given receptacle is isolatedfrom the balance of the pile, evenly and simultaneously feeding acoloring agent into each of said receptacles, and exposingsimultaneously each of such isolated pile areas to permit the pile toabsorb the coloring agent during the pressure applying operation.

2. A process for the application of color designs to pile fabricscomprising the spreading of said carpeting over a plurality ofreceptacles, each receptacle being bounded by a thin wall, an area ofsaid pile entering each receptacle, the application of pressure againstthe back of the carpeting whereby the receptacle walls are caused toreach substantially to the bottom of the pile, and the feeding of acoloring agent evenly and simultaneously into all portions of each ofsaid receptacles.

3. A process as claimed in claim 2 wherein coloring agent is fed intoeach said receptacle through the bottom thereof.

4. A process as claimed in claim 2 wherein a dierent 7. An apparatus asclaimed in claim 6 wherein said means for conducting a liquid coloringagent comprises a plurality of channels, each of said channels extendingfrom a reservoir containing liquid coloring agent outside said basemember, through said base member into one of said receptacles.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein each 4 said channel opensat one end thereof into the bottom of one of said receptacles.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 including a sheet of rigidmaterial above said receptacles whereby uniform pressure may be appliedagainst the bottom of a carpet when said carpet is spread over saidreceptacles between said receptacles and said rigid sheet.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 8,249Shaler July 22, 1851 178,921 Gibbs June 20, 1876 659,535 Lankford Oct.9, 1900 1,977,338 Hasbrouck Oct. 16, 1934 2,247,346 Blair July 1, 19412,464,301 Francis Mar. 15, 1949 2,591,941 Innereld Apr. 8, 1952 FOREIGNPATENTS 19,060 Germany Aug. 12, 1882

1. A PROCESS FOR THE APPLICATION OF COLORED DESIGNS TO PILEFABRIC,COMPRISING THE SPREADING OF SAID CARPENTING ABOVE A PLURALITY OFRECEPTACLES HAVING PERPENDICULAR WALLS, CAUSING AN AREA OF SAID PILE TOENTER EACH RECEPTACLE BY APPLING PRESSURE TO THE CARPETING BY MEANS OF AFLAT RIGID PLATE, THE WALLS OF EACH RECEPTACLE EXTENDING INTO THE PILE,WHEREBY THE AREA OF PULE WHICHIN A GIVEN RECEPTACLE IS ISOLATED FROM THEBALANCE OF THE PILE, EVENLY AND SIMULTENEOUSLY FEEDING A COLORING AGENTINTO EACH OF SAID RECEPTACLES, AND EXPOSING SIMULTANEOISLY EACH OF SUCHISOLATED PILE AREAS TO PERMIT THE PILE TO ABSORB THE COLORING AGENTDURING THE PRESSURE APPLYING APERATION.